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Businesses face incredible challenges today, and balancing aspects equivalent to talent shortages, political debates and rising inflation with the demand for higher advantages is difficult. Empathy with the worker and ensuring an empathetic workplace – one that supports the needs of employees in a divisive environment – is crucial. Leadership is greater than just being decisive, tough, confident and strong. A word that many would not immediately apply to leadership is “empathy,” and yet it is one of the most vital aspects that outline successful and emerging leaders.
Studies indicate that a leader’s empathetic traits directly impact business goals, creating a higher level of communication, trust and sense of value among employees. The problem is that many CEOs do not realize that they do not have empathy.
The 2023 State of Empathy in the Workplace Report I paint this picture. The survey of 1,000 people found that in 2018, 78% of employees felt they worked in an empathetic workplace, but by 2023 this had dropped to just 66%. More importantly, 67% of CEOs consider they are more empathetic now than before the pandemic (but only 59% of employees consider this).
Leaders are expected to be accountable for their organizations. Business in particular is often perceived as a high-stakes environment, where results matter and feelings are dismissed and reserved for more personal pursuits.
The importance of empathy in leadership
As CEO of Carbliss, I have grown rapidly and to remain effective, I fully consider in finding balance. To achieve success in business and life, a personal level of understanding is mandatory.
This is where empathy comes in. Being an empathetic leader means recognizing that leadership is not a one-size-fits-all approach; it’s about authentically understanding team members’ individual challenges, motivations and emotions.
Traditional leadership could also be based on the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I consider in what I call the Platinum Rule – “Do unto others as they would have done unto them.” It’s empathetic leadership.
Change your leadership to be other-centered
For a leader, it is extremely necessary to change the perspective from an egocentric model to an other-focused model. Instead of focusing solely on how I want things done, I focus more on tuning in to my teams’ unique perspectives and leading from a place of understanding.
From a personal perspective, it didn’t occur overnight. I had one of my first management positions when I worked in a cheese factory. Management quickly placed me in a technical management position because my military experience equaled solid leadership skills.
It’s quite cliché, but my military leadership experience consisted mostly of shouting and push-ups, and that was the model I adopted as a leader. When mistakes occurred, they were corrected with harsh words and vigorous demonstrations of the “right way” to do it.
My tactic worked. The people I yelled at fixed their mistakes and went back to work… for about 20 minutes. The short-term results reflected my leadership style – effective but callous.
Everything modified when I first picked up Dale Carnegie’s classic book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, which teaches what I consider is the most vital skill in effective leadership: empathy.
Applying empathy to the way you’re employed and lead now requires careful oversight of the way you accomplish tasks, in addition to how you possibly can improve these methods based on empathy. Here are 5 tactics to get you began.
1. Eliminate the excuse for feeling sorry for yourself
If a colleague or member of your staff continues to underperform and make excuses, understand your leadership role in the situation. This is not about self-pity or supporting a culture of victimhood – it’s masked compassion that misses the point.
True empathy is the combination of unfiltered honesty with a deep understanding of an individual’s narrative and recognizing how their experiences influence their worldview. This distinction is crucial. It also gives you the opportunity to have deeper, more adult conversations with all team members.
2. Have conversations
At Carbliss, we talk directly and through mature dialogue when doubts arise. For example, if someone is a little too liberal with the spending bill, as a substitute of communicating draconian rules upfront, we talk like adults. There is no need to dwell on this point.
To do this, consider, for example, a direct query equivalent to: “You did XYZ today. It doesn’t seem normal, was it intentional?” If so, you possibly can address the issues on the spot and move on, if the answer is no, you possibly can make it clear that continuing this motion will create a lack of trust so they know what to expect from you if this behavior continues. Set clear expectations with your team so they have parameters inside which they’ll excel.
3. Understand the reason
If someone on your team is often an A player but their performance has dropped in recent weeks, give them the good thing about the doubt. Take a deeper look at the “why” of what is happening as they perform their tasks to higher understand the consequences and make effective changes. When a mistake is made, we confront it, try to understand where everyone involved is coming from, fix it, and move on.
4. Build a culture of integrity
If a team member is struggling, it might be tempting to make them feel higher or overcompensate by assigning tasks to another person and hoping it’s just a season. It is a short-term solution to long-term problems. Instead, I’m speaking out on this topic because it’s true: empathy is honesty in motion. I know that if I can approach someone who believes in doing their best for each the company and themselves, I have already set the stage for a constructive, solution-focused discussion. After all, no one is trying to screw up. Let’s assume they need to achieve success and be honest about their expectations. This will establish a clear point of reference for the team member, and your positive intentions will influence how feedback is provided.
5. Be transparent
Transparency breeds empathy. Be as transparent as possible so everyone knows where you are coming from. I all the time try to be transparent so everyone knows where I’m coming from. I take the time to discover where they arrive from. Once we understand each other, every little thing else will fall into place.
Here is my advice for leaders and entrepreneurs who want to adopt empathetic leadership practices:
- Get to know the people you’re employed with on a personal level.
- Ask your team difficult questions and listen – really listen – to their answers.
- Listen to hear them, not respond with your own points.
- Discover the personal stories that impact your team.
- Above all, infuse every interaction with sincerity.
When you do this, you are guided by empathy. And an empathetic leader is one who understands how to achieve success.